S-MODE L2 Shipboard Bottle Data: Ocean Chemistry Samples

In-situ seawater samples collected approximately 300 km offshore of San Francisco during the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE). The dataset contains chlorophyll, phaeopigments, and nutrient concentrations, including particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen, silicate, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate. These data are used for validating PRISM-derived products and calibrating sensors on autonomous platforms.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived chlorophyll products based on in-situ chlorophyll and phaeopigment concentrations.
• Calibrating autonomous sensor readings for nitrate and phosphate based on bottle sample analysis.
• Analyzing vertical nutrient exchange dynamics based on particulate organic carbon and nitrogen molarity.
• Studying seasonal ocean chemistry changes based on samples from Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 intensive operating periods.

Strengths

• Data collection spans multiple campaigns: a two-week pilot in October 2021 and two intensive operating periods in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
• Concentrations are measured via multiple analytical methods (fluorometry, elemental analysis, ion analysis), providing methodological specificity.
• The dataset is available on multiple platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating curation and accessibility.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and exact file size are unknown across all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: one source reports 2026-04-09, another reports 2023-05-02.
• The license is listed as 'other-license-specified' without further detail, which may restrict use.

Provenance

Source

POCLOUD (as listed on NASA Earthdata)

Collection Method

Water samples collected in Niskin bottles mounted on a ship's rosette sampler.

Time Range

October 2021 (pilot), Fall 2022, and Spring 2023.

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:52:26.927392

Geography

Approximately 300 km offshore of San Francisco.